If we don’t, who will?
This is what Quigney residents are thinking as they marshal brooms, rakes and spades around the neighbourhood.
Business owners, residents and community leaders are turning the tide on years of rubbish and foul neglect.
This they do along with sponsoring teams of cleaners, a number of them former car washers who were previously considered ‘problematic’ along the Esplanade.
Dressed smartly in work clothes, wide-brimmed hats and their names proudly displayed, they were at the frontline of a community united against the trash and social abuse the area has suffered for decades.
For residents, getting down and dirty is an act of therapy, an act of reclaiming and renewing their love of the seaside suburb.
It feels good to unite as a community and start getting things back to livable and pleasant, Go! was told.
For a long time, Quigney struggled with trash piles, slow or sloppy municipal collection, and loutish behaviour, especially by party-goers who made a noise and left their trash as a sign of their disinterest and disrespect for a beautiful coastal suburb.
It was gross and it was driving away locals and visitors.
On July 16 2024, the Quigney Ratepayers and Residents Association, along with a dedicated team of volunteers, established these daily clean-ups.
It’s working. There are bleak spots, but look at the bright spaces, once a mess, they are now becoming cleaner, safer, and more attractive for all.
At the centre of this movement is flat owner and chair of the association, Satish Nair.
He says the community movement started out of frustration with failure of the local authority to perform.
“A few years ago, Buffalo City municipality (BCM) failed to clean and maintaining the area. The community held meetings and decided to act,” Nair said.
The association constituted itself legally and began to hold BCM accountable. The residents also began funding stipends for cleaners and night-watch teams.
“Once people saw visible results, support grew quickly, and more residents and businesses came on board,” he said.
Today, the association employs eight cleaners who work 6.30am to 5.30pm, alongside eight community night watch members who monitor the area from 8pm to 6am.
“The beachfront looks better, feel safer, and is once again enjoyable for residents and visitors.
“Our long-term vision is to expand clean-ups across all of Quigney, and hopefully inspire other suburbs. But for continued success, we need stronger collaboration with BCM, especially law enforcement, to address public drinking, littering, issues that undo our progress,” Nair said.
Ocean passion drives volunteer spirit. Save Nahoon activist Kevin Harris said: “As a surfer, I saw so much plastic and human waste floating in the water. I knew we had to do more to stop waste entering our oceans. Tidy Towns South Coast inspired us, and it’s rewarding to see the same model, Tidy Towns Buffalo City, working here.”
Harris believes that individual actions snowball into community change: “Yes, you pay rates, but that shouldn’t stop you from doing your bit. If each person makes a small effort, never dumping waste irresponsibly, picking up litter, and setting a good example, the entire community will follow. Our vision is to move towards recycling and eventually eliminate single-use plastic pollution.”
Ward councillor Funeka Wolose said: “For years, I’ve taken matters into my own hands because residents weren’t always responsible about waste disposal. Many people don’t take out their garbage on time for collection. Property owners, especially those renting to students, must enforce stricter rules to ensure tenants follow collection schedules,” she said.
“Monkeys often open bins and scatter garbage, and plastic bags block drains, making the situation worse. Fortunately, the ratepayers and residents association has stepped up and built a cleanup group that’s doing an outstanding job. They’ve proven that community-driven action really works.”
The Quigney initiative is proof that strong leadership and united communities can produce lasting change.
Since July 2024, dedicated volunteers and support from residents and leaders has fostered a renewed sense of pride and ownership.
Quigney is headed to becoming a model suburb for Buffalo City.
